Monument of the Fallen

During World War II, Pilio, like the rest of Greece, was severely affected by the occupation of Nazi Germany. Greece was invaded by the Germans in April 1941, following an earlier Italian attack. The occupation lasted for more than three years and resulted in great hardships: many villages were destroyed, the population suffered from hunger, reprisals and executions, and the economy and infrastructure were largely destroyed.

In Pilio, many residents left after the war because of poverty and devastation; some sought work in Volos or Western Europe, leaving the mountain villages, including Portarià, in danger of being abandoned.

Pascal Brackman